Hillside Garden Center

Our 3rd annual Tomato Tasting Event was a wonderful success! Customers tried many varieties of tomatoes and enjoyed our special sales. Recipes are shown below and  photos will be up shortly! The big tomato winner was "Sun Sugar"...

followed by a four-way tie for second with "Black Cherry", "Giant Belguim", "Kentucky Beefstake" and "Pineapple Ground Cherry". Third place was a tie between "Opalka" and "Super Sweet 100".

Our Recipes:

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

1 bag frozen super sweet corn

1 can black beans, drained

1 diced sweet green pepper

1 dived sweet red pepper

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

- Blend all together, marinate over night

Texas Caviar

2 (15 oz.) cans black eyed peans, drained

1 (14 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, drained

2 medium, fresh Jalapeno peppers, minced

1 small onion, diced

6 TBS. red wine vinegar

6 TBS. Olive Oil (not extra virgin)

1/2 TSP. salt

1/2 TSP. pepper

1/2 TSP. garlic powder

1 TSP. dried oregano

1 1/2 TSP. ground cumin

- Mix well and refrigerate 2 hours -up to 2 days

Jackie's Pesto

2 cups Basil, packed

3 TBS walnuts

1-2 cloves garlic

1/2 TSP salt

dash pepper

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

-In food processor, process garlic, walnuts and cheese

-Add oil, salt, pepper, process

-Add basil, add extra oil if needed to desired consistency

Store in air tight jars or freeze in small jars (add a little oil to the top of each. Or freeze in ice cube trays and store frozen cubes in baggies.

Casey's Sangria

Fruit: 2-3 oranges, 2 lemons, 2 limes, 2 apples, 1 pear

1/8 TSP nutmeg

1 TSP cinnamon

1 cup sugar

12 cups red table wine (example - equals 1 jug of Carlo Rossi Pisano Red)

3 cups water

-In a large pot mix wine, water and sugar

-Add juiced oranges, lemons and limes

-Chop and add apples and pear

-Refrigerate - make at least 2 days ahead, 3-5 is even better

Start with the citrus base and you can add any fruit. Try berries - strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. Or try plums, nectarines and peaches. Or try with white wine with fruits that stay clear when soaked, start with the same citrus base.

Maque Choux (Mocque Chou)

6 ears of corn
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 medium to large sweet onion

5 cloves garlic
1 hot pepper ( serrano, jalapeno, cayenne, etc.)
1/4 TSP salt
oil
2 drops agave syrup or 1/2 TSP sugar or equivalent
1 stalk lemon grass or 1/4 lemon
1/2 cup milk or cream
oregano and/or thyme  
sage
black pepper

-Roast the corn. In husk, soaking wet if over a fire. Husked, in a broiler pan with water, at 350F/broil, in an oven. Turn 2-3 times. (Should take 10-12 minutes)
-Dice onion, garlic, lemon grass, pepper and herbs. Saute until almost fully cooked
-Add the tomatoes and saute for 2-3 more minutes
-Cut the corn off the cob into a bowl. Scrape the cobs to get the juice.
-Add the corn and cream (half-and-half in this case) to the pan and mix
-Add salt, black pepper and sweetener to taste  
-Put 1-2 cups of the maque choux into a blender, then add back to the whole 
-Cook approx. 2 minutes more to thicken

-Serve hot or cold

Bruschetta

6-7 ripe plum tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

6-8 basil leaves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

-Par boil tomatoes 1 minute, let cool and remove skins, seeds and juice

-Chop finely and toss with other ingredients

-Cover and let chill, serves 6-10